3 Sisters Forge Beast & Grayman Dua

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Richard1234

Joined
Dec 12, 2013
Messages
266
So I recently purchased this grayman dua and it is a nice blade. Very solid and feels like it will be able to take a beating. I just got put on the list for a 3 sisters beast and I was wondering how you guys like the beast? If you have a dua how do they compare? And also are there any other mid tech/customs like these 2 around this price range? Thanks! Here's my dua:)
 
Well... I have a BEAST and can say it's well worth the wait. Very well made and finished. Mine has about a 40% lockup. The clip is the best I've ever seen. I carry in my back pocket and have snagged the clip on a Sebenza on a chair a couple times and bent it. The clip on the BEAST is thick and this likely won't happen to it. I had a Dua just like yours and sent it back. The pivot was so tight it was very hard to open, I was concerned it would not loosen up to my likening. The Dua is nice, much more tactical than the BEAST. I'm on the wait list for a Ti/Ti Dua, I'll decide when they are available if i want another.

Get the BEAST, you won't be disappointed.
 
I have both and the Beast is hands down the winner for me. The Beast puts my Sebenza to shame for ease/smoothness of opening and for my hand is the perfect size. Lock up is bank vault tight and has absolutely zero play. The Dua is a great knife but the ergos are a bit off. The flat part of the handle right before the blade is where the cutout for the pointer finger should be. Instead it places it back about an inch which screws up the balance and the amount of grip on the knife. Mine came with a very thick bevel behind the edge. The edge was over a 50 degree angle. This caused a ridiculously high grind when I reprofiled it. Couldn't even get it down to 20 degrees per side. Otherwise a very solid well built knife.
 
I may be sending the dua back then so that I can get a beast:) In all seriousness, it sounds great and I can't wait to get one. My dua actually came much different than yours. The blade is bank vault tight and yet when I move the lock over the blade swings more freely than a para 2. I am going through waves with the dua of loving it for a day and then not being sure if I want to keep it, but there is something about it that calls my name:)
 
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I love the TSF Beast so much that I have 4 of them, one being Damascus. Mr Allen made me a lefty, one all blacked out, one bronze/black blade and one lime green/black blade to match the jeep I just sold. A very nice guy to deal with, he answers email in a timely manner. They are good knives, they have a 3" blade and a regular size handle. He uses different steels. I had one that I lost that had Elmax, the others I have, have M390. They are easy to take down and clean, it can take abuse. Now I have the lime green for my work knife, I won't loose this one. I like TSF as much as my sebenzas
 
Ajack60 said:
I love the TSF Beast so much that I have 4 of them, one being Damascus. Mr Allen made me a lefty, one all blacked out, one bronze/black blade and one lime green/black blade to match the jeep I just sold. A very nice guy to deal with, he answers email in a timely manner. They are good knives, they have a 3" blade and a regular size handle. He uses different steels. I had one that I lost that had Elmax, the others I have, have M390. They are easy to take down and clean, it can take abuse. Now I have the lime green for my work knife, I won't loose this one. I like TSF as much as my sebenzas
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I can agree that Jim Allen is a wonderful guy to deal with and answers emails and questions extremely fast. It's hard to find that kind of excellent customer service anywhere else.
 
My GF gave me a Beast for Christmas and within an hour it developed lock rock. Soon after that is developed blade play in all directions and Mr. Allen told me to send it in. Well I got the knife back and it developed the blade play again that same day. I emailed Mr. Allen again and he told me that he would make me one and send it to me while letting me keep the original one until it arrived. I received the new one last week and it is perfect. The lock is rock solid and the fit is much tighter overall. Mr. Allen is a great communicator and answers emails faster than you can send them. I am very pleased with his customer service. He is a joy to deal with. I have also owned two Dua's and there is no doubt that they are excellent knives but I prefer the Beast in every aspect. Let me also add that the m390 steel on the Beast is the bomb. Love it.
 
Richard1234 said:
So I recently purchased this grayman dua and it is a nice blade. Very solid and feels like it will be able to take a beating. I just got put on the list for a 3 sisters beast and I was wondering how you guys like the beast? If you have a dua how do they compare? And also are there any other mid tech/customs like these 2 around this price range? Thanks! Here's my dua:)
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Did he give you an eta on the Beast. I need to get me one as well. Just been putting if off for no good reason.
 
I've had several of each one. Both are excellent. Something to consider is the grip-length in the pic of the five knives. Both the Dua and Beast have a grip-length which is in-between the lengths of the small and large Sebenza. That, for me, is nearly the perfect grip-length. I cannot hold onto a small (2nd from the top) in my hand. When I try to CLOSE the blade, I move my hand back a bit so that I can push on the lockbar with my thumb...at which time the small Sebenza tries to slip forward out of my hand; too short a grip for my rather large hands. I have a pic of this at the bottom. So I carry a large Sebbie or Zaan, but both of these are larger/longer than I really need. I keep waiting for that "medium" Sebenza. :)

Jay S had this comment above: "The flat part of the handle right before the blade is where the cutout for the pointer finger should be. Instead it places it back about an inch which screws up the balance and the amount of grip on the knife." This was my finding also. I asked Mike Grayman about this, and he said the cutout could not be placed any further forward...due to the position of the pivot. And that's too bad, because I really like this knife. It is a fat S30V, but you can re-profile. Note that this orange Dua has a grip-height which makes it sit better in my hand.
I've had two Dua's and three TSF's. The M390 that Jim Allen uses in his TSF is a great steel. Deployment is excellent and smooth and tight lockup. His communication is as good as it comes...very nice fellow; loves mountain-biking where he lives, when/if you tire of talking about blades. :)
This is my latest TSF Beast, with a re-profiled and sharpened/polished blade. It performed well in the "rubber-band" test that is in another thread this morning.

From top down: TSF Beast, small Sebbie, Seb 25 (ignore blood), DUA, Zaan.

 
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I've always found it quite comfy with my middle finger nestled firmly in the groove. I'm sure my particular hand size has much to do with it, but the hump on the back of the handle coupled with the groove almost "locked" it into my hand, preventing my index finger from creeping any closer to the blade.
 
Sonnydaze said:
I've had several of each one. Both are excellent. Something to consider is the grip-length in the pic of the five knives. Both the Dua and Beast have a grip-length which is in-between the lengths of the small and large Sebenza. I cannot hold onto a small (2nd from the top) in my hand. When I try to CLOSE the blade, I move my hand back a bit so that I can push on the lockbar with my thumb...at which time the small Sebenza falls out of my hand; too short a grip for my rather large hands. I have a pic of this at the bottom. So I carry a large Sebbie or Zaan, but both of these are larger/longer than I really need. I keep waiting for that "medium" Sebenza. :)

Jay S had this comment above: "The flat part of the handle right before the blade is where the cutout for the pointer finger should be. Instead it places it back about an inch which screws up the balance and the amount of grip on the knife." This was my finding also. I asked Mike Grayman about this, and he said the cutout could not be placed any further forward...due to the position of the pivot. And that's too bad, because I really like this knife. It is a fat S30V, but you can re-profile. Note that this orange Dua has a grip-height which makes it sit better in my hand.
I've had two Dua's and three TSF's. The M390 that Jim Allen uses in his TSF is a great steel. Deployment is excellent and smooth and tight lockup.
This is my latest TSF Beast, with a re-profiled and sharpened/polished blade. It performed well in the "rubber-band" test that is in another thread this morning.

From top down: TSF Beast, small Sebbie, Seb 25 (ignore blood), DUA, Zaan.

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Great knives! It kind of looks like the beast handle isn't much longer than the small sebenza, more so that it is just thicker and fills out the hand better. Is this correct?
 
My TSF Beast measures 4.31" closed. The small Sebbie is spec'd at 3.935" (total length - blade length). That may not seem like much of a difference...but it makes all the difference in the world to me. I cannot use a small Sebbie. I enjoy using the TSF Beast, as a grip which exceeds at least four inches allows me good control of the blade.
Of course, many folks with smaller hands love the small Sebenza length. My hands are not smaller.
sonnydaze
I've sent you an email with some more pics.
 
Sonnydaze said:
My TSF Beast measures 4.31" closed. The small Sebbie is spec'd at 3.935" (total length - blade length). That may not seem like much of a difference...but it makes all the difference in the world to me. I cannot use a small Sebbie. I enjoy using the TSF Beast, as a grip which exceeds at least four inches allows me good control of the blade.
Of course, many folks with smaller hands love the small Sebenza length. My hands are not smaller.
sonnydaze
I've sent you an email with some more pics.
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Thank you very helpful!
 
I don't own a Beast but to me the Dua is a perfect EDC. Fits my hand well and the overall size and thickness is just right.
 
I also own just the Dua but not a Beast yet. I absolutely love the Dua and hearing the majority of the posts above of ppl who prefer the Beast has me really interested in getting my hands on one. Time to do some research!
 
Another thing I noticed between the two, with the Beast I opened and closed it about 50 times and with each it worked better. With the Dua this didn't happen. Sometimes it opened easy, but mostly it was a struggle and the lock was difficult too. For me the Beast is the clear winner between the too.
 
I have – and love – both. In fact, they're my favorite knives in my humble collection, though I have to give the nod to the Beast for the M390 steel, unique looks and the fact that Jim is such a great guy. That said, my Ti/Ti Dua arrived with ideal deployment action, a perfectly centered blade and zero blade-play, whereas I had to do a bit of tinkering to get my Beast to where I wanted it (tighten here, loosen there, a spot of oil, and – voila! – now it fires open like an assisted blade).

Ultimately, either is an excellent choice, and truth be told, I love 'em even more than my Sebbies. So, which one is right for you? That's a tough question to answer, and frankly, one than I'm glad I don't have to face. ;-)





Regards,
Adam
 
craniotes said:
I have – and love – both. In fact, they're my favorite knives in my humble collection, though I have to give the nod to the Beast for the M390 steel, unique looks and the fact that Jim is such a great guy. That said, my Ti/Ti Dua arrived with ideal deployment action, a perfectly centered blade and zero blade-play, whereas I had to do a bit of tinkering to get my Beast to where I wanted it (tighten here, loosen there, a spot of oil, and – voila! – now it fires open like an assisted blade).

Ultimately, either is an excellent choice, and truth be told, I love 'em even more than my Sebbies. So, which one is right for you? That's a tough question to answer, and frankly, one than I'm glad I don't have to face. ;-)





Regards,
Adam
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Very sharp looking knives!
 
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